Rainbow Six Siege Year 5: Everything We Know

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege has concluded its fourth rotation of annual updates, continuing to scale the thriving tactical shooter with free content. It’s among Ubisoft’s greatest success stories of the decade, recently surpassing 50 million lifetime players, continuing plans for 10-year support. Year 5 is expected to support that growth further, diversifying gameplay, and taking its competitive roots to new heights.

Here’s everything we know about Ubisoft’s Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 plans.

Much of Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 remains under wraps, expected to make its first formal appearance in February at the Six Invitational 2020. The Montreal-based event serves as the blockbuster homecoming for Ubisoft’s shooter, host to its most massive Rainbow Six Pro League final, and yearly content plans. The Year 5 roadmap and Season 1 are likely to feature, with dedicated panels on February 16, 2020.

However, with Rainbow Six Siege seasons consistently spaced across three-month intervals, it provides a general arrival estimate for each update in 2020.

• Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 1 – March 2020
• Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 2 – June 2020
• Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 3 – September 2020
• Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 4 – December 2020

While Year 5 Season 1 will receive a dedicated reveal at the Six Invitational, Ubisoft rarely confirms concrete release dates until just one day before deployment.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 roadmap

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 is expected to maintain Ubisoft’s established seasonal template, delivering tri-monthly updates comprised of new playable Operators, multiplayer maps, among other gameplay changes. Its content roadmap is set to predate Year 5 Season 1, providing a brief overview of its annual content plans, including countries and locales.

Ubisoft is yet to unveil planned counterterrorism units (CTUs) for Year 5, likely holding details for its full roadmap unveiling. However, many regions across the globe remain undiscovered, including Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, South Asia, and South Africa.

As Ubisoft drops its second Battle Pass, scheduled for Year 4 Season 4, expect further details on the future of Rainbow Six. While former annual passes launched in late December, the Year 5 Pass also remains absent in early 2020.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Operators

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 is expected to expand the playable Operator roster and inject new abilities into the game’s ever-shifting meta. Expect eight fresh personas with distinct gameplay influences, accompanied by deep backstories as Ubisoft expands supporting lore. And assuming a return of Year 5 Pass, the optional premium membership will grant seven-day early access to all Operators, later available via Renown or R6 Credits.

With Ubisoft tight on plans for Year 5 Season 1 and beyond, it appears an unveiling is scheduled for the Six Invitational. The next milestone expansion has also skirted significant leaks so far, in contrast to Year 4, which regularly saw full seasonal plans surfacing months before release.

We understand Ubisoft plans to release two new Operators under Year 5 Season 1, currently codenamed “Quarterback” and “Rekall” internally. While midway through development, the character codenames loosely reflect their planned abilities, expanding both attacking and defending teams.

Following accurate leaks throughout Year 4, reputable ResetEra user “Kormora” adds further context, with alleged details on the upcoming Year 5 Season 1 update. The leak references Kool-Aid commercials from the tail end of the last century, famed by the drink’s “Kool-Aid Man” mascot, bursting through walls. It alludes to an Operator with similar capabilities, potentially allowing the user to charge through soft walls. While it’s unclear how Ubisoft would implement such an ability, a stun or kickback like Nomad’s Airjab may provide additional utility.

The leak also details plans for two Operators capable of drone-based medical support, and dual-wielding weapons. Kormora was unable to confirm these Operators progressed beyond early concepts, but it provides a glimpse of ideas shared at the studio.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 weapons leaked

While our predictions for Year 5 Season 1 gadgetry rides on unofficial sources, details on firearms come directly from Ubisoft. With the release of Operation Shifting Tides, Ubisoft opened the Test Server (TS) environment on PC ahead of a public launch. But it introduced an unfortunate slip-up, based on a work-in-progress build featuring full Year 5 Season 1 Operator weapon loadouts.

Opening select single-weapon cosmetic skins on the TS game menu outlined the usual compatible Operators, alongside placeholders for upcoming recruits. “Y5S1 ATK” or “Y5S1 DEF” icons featured prominently, with further digging detailing the full planned loadouts, as of late 2019. However, it’s worth highlighting both represent pre-release designs and could evolve before the reveal.

The leak indicates Year 5 Season 1 will once again recycle weaponry, as Ubisoft tackles various gameplay and legal hurdles for new additions. That debuts an attacker with the G36C and ARX200, two existing assault rifles from Ash and Nomad, accompanied by the MK1 9mm pistol. The MP5 and SPAS-12 will feature on defense with the USP40 semi-automatic pistol and Bailiff 410 revolver.

Rainbow Six heads to Greece, Six Invitational 2020

Ubisoft kicked off its Year 4 unveiling with the introduction of Harishva “Harry” Pandey, the latest Team Rainbow kingpin, and central to future Operator lore. His introductory key art featured a pinboard laced with future content teases. Now looking back, the image provided first references to Phantom Sight and Ember Rise, but still shows one unsolved mystery. The upper-right sector lies plastered in images of Athens ruins, labeled with the tagline “Project R6 Vision.”

Ubisoft’s first Battle Pass dropped eight months later, once again featuring similar callbacks to Greece. The seven-day limited-time event served as a trial for future monetization plans, serving four exclusive weapon charms for hitting milestones. Initial Battle Pass charms all centered on Harry’s possessions, lined with cryptic references to an Athens-based event. The Operation Shifting Tides reveal panel wrapped with the latest teaser, preparing for an Olympic-style stadium event.

Tying up recent speculation, a leak from Rainbow Six Siege leaker, RolyNoly1, unearthed various in-game assets for an upcoming map titled Stadium. The experience serves as a limited-time celebrating Ubisoft’s flagship “Six Invitational” tournament, on track for February 2020. Located in Greece, the map reportedly features a custom close-quarters battlefield situated within a sporting arena, housing Operators suited up on national attire. Building upon universe lore, it’s overseen by Team Rainbow’s Harry, and supported by custom cinematics and voice lines.

The Six Invitational mode utilizes the Bomb game mode, augmented with tournament rules and Pick and Ban. The event takes place exclusively on the Stadium map, remixing signature landmarks of existing locations, and draped with a new visual palette. That revives similar objective sites and tactics, but with fundamentally altered map flow.

The Six Invitational 2020 event also features custom skins, including dedicated country uniforms for select Operators. Attacker skins rework Sledge, Thermite, Blitz, Hibana, and Thatcher, while defenders receive new looks for Mozzie, Caveira, and Pulse. Those also pair with custom Operator cards, animations, and voice lines.

It’s a sizeable event in the same vein as previous Halloween or Showdown modes, featuring limited-time gameplay and rewards. However, it’s unclear whether Ubisoft plans to retire this map after February or whether Stadium will become a mainstay of the rotation. The mode will predate Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 Season 1, expected for March 2020.

Year 5 lies on the horizon

Rainbow Six Siege Year 5 remains in initial stages, with more expected during the early months of 2020. However, with an upcoming “Phase 2” of the Battle Pass, Six Invitational 2020, and talk of Year 5 Season 1, a ton lies ahead for Ubisoft’s hit shooter.

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